Current Proposals directly affecting Northolt

On the 10th January 2012 the Transport Secretary Justine Greening announced the go ahead by the Government for a £33bn High Speed rail network.

The first phase would see the link running from London to Birmingham followed by Phase 2 with the infrustructure connecting with Manchester and Leeds by 2033. Trains will travel at speeds of up to 250mph and passengers will be able to commute London to Birmigham or vice versa in 45 minutes, redfucing journey times by almost 1 hour, 24 minutes. Connections to existing lines would also cut journey times between London, Edinburgh and Glasgow to 3½ hours. Phase 1 of HS2 between London and Birmingham should be operating by 2026.

The descision to create and build this route has met with huge opposition from the communities that the route spans as it will aid in the demolition of people’s homes, damage to the environment, wild life and habbitat, vegitation, land, trees. Residents since the annoucement have been outraged and the project has ‘lit’ the fuse to residents nighmare!

Since the announcement campaigners saying ‘NO’ to this development have grown quickly and considerably all along it’s route and include many residents that live in our own localities as the planned route will use existing track lines that run from Euston through, East/North Acton, Hanger Lane, Perivale, Greenford, Northolt, Ruislips and beyond through the Chilterns to Birmingham. Great swathes of land, embankments along the route will be altered, expanded to accommodate the development. All existing bridges along the route, will all have to be strengthend, this alone when work commences will create huge disruption to traffic roadways and the communities they serve. But above all is the demolision of homes that are near to, back onto the proposed rail network. The landscape along the route will change forever, with the disappearence for miles of embankments and vegitation.

Originally a tunnel was proposed for the Ruislip area, whilst residents and campagn groups have fought hard and managed to secure tunneling under the Chilterns. Recently plans have been announced that the tunnel designed for Ruislip will now commence from NORTHOLT – area selected is to the rear of the Fairview Residents – Wilsmere Drive area, and 21 homes at this point alone have all received ‘warning letters of compulsory purchase orders.’ Homes are also affected along Carr Road where many of the gardens back onto the proposed railway development, these homes have become virtually worthless in value as desperate residents have found to their cost recently when trying to sell and move away.

Recently, the announcement also of a Heathrow link is now proposed, it was much thought at first this would be located between Northolt and South Ruislip but the Heathrow spur and junction will now be located at Ickenham, rail routes will feed into the network by loop at this junction.

The proposed rail network will have a huge effect on the area and communities we all live in and share and will affect everyone living along its route way, notably the following points in respect of Northolt, that directly affects Northolt Village Residents and other Northolt Residents:

Higher Noise qualities and viabrations from passing trains, estimated at every 6 minutes to residents that live Belvue Close, Belvue Road.

Loss of vegitation and embankments (that have helped to protect) the landscape, along the northside of the tracks opposite Belvue Close and Belvue Road.

Land owned by residents – gardens – along Carr Road that backs onto the rail way – compulsory purchased, demolished for widening of the tracks, residents homes devalued in the process, making it harder for them to sell, if they wish too, with lower or non equately values and bring the rail development closer to their properties.

21 homes Fairview Residents (Wilsmere Drive) area – under ‘warning notices of compulsory purchase’ – this is the designated point for the commencement of tunnelling that will run under the Ruislips¹

The loss of vegitation and embankment all along the north side that will see trains and track closer to Northolt High School, Eastcote Lane North and the Liesure Centre, Mayleys Car Yard.

Quality of noise and speed of trains operating along the track bearly 6 feet away from platforms of Northolt Underground Station.

Bridge reinforcements at Northolt Station, Cattle Bridge (links with Belvue Road across to Carr Road) and over the Grand Union Canal²

The likely demolision of the phone mast next to the Cattle Bridge – Carr Road side.

Key:

¹ The compulsory purchase of homes Fairview Residents (Wilsmere Drive) area is to allow for heavy duty construction machinery and vehicles that would used to building the tunnel. This location was selected as the proposed rail network would avoid interfering with the Chiltern rail network and junctions that run overhead at South Ruislip, high speed trains would be unable to negotiate the tracks operated by Chiltern Railways at and through South Ruislip.

² Reinforcing Northolt Station bridge will impact on traffic along the A312 and bus routes when work commences, this will affect ALL residents and could see traffic re-routed at times away from the Northolt Village area, that would disrupt local shops, businesses and residents.

Consultation Period:

The current phase of the consultation period that will run from now until 2014, following the outcome of MP’s voting on the ‘Hybrid Bill’ expected to go before the House of Commons 2014.

Currently HS2 Ltd (the developers) are holding meetings to capture residents and poeples views to the development all along the route by scheduling a series of localised meetings for all interewted groups, associations and individuals. Organised meetings by HS2 Ltd are by invitation only, when announced. However, the meetings are being Chaired independantly that are not biased to any opinions but simply to keep and run the meetings to time and to schedule. Look out for meeting dates and venue when announced.

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